Improvement in turning-lath es



UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE.

J. C. WYBELL, CF WEST MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO i HIMSELF AND F. N. BIXBY, OF SAME BLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN Tu RNiNe-LATHES.

Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 57,054, dated August 7,1866.

To all whom it may concern: A

Be it known that I, J. C. .WYBELL of West Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Attachment for Lathes for Turning Spheres and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to-the accompanying drawings, making a part of this speciication, in which- Figure lis a sideelevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figures.

This invention is designed to be applied to any ordinary or suitable turninglathe, and it consists in an attachment whereby spheressueh, for instance, as billiard and croquet balls-may be turned upon such Ordin arylathes with great facility and cheapness and in a very superior manner, such attachment being applicable to dilferent lathes or lathes with centers of Various heights. i

To en able others to understand the construction and operation of myinvention, I will proceed to describe itwith reference to the drawings. n i

A represents a cast-iron plate or bed, which may constitute a portion ot' the lathe-rest, and upon the upper side of which are formed two knobs or bosses, a, into which are fitted short adjustable upright posts or standards b and c.

B is a horizontal rock-shaft, which is placed longitudinally between the upper ends of the posts b c, and pivoted therein by having its forward end made cylindrical in shape and tted into a bearing formed in the upper end ofthe post b, as shown at a', while the rearmost endof` the said rock-shaft is sustained by the inner end of a screw, d, which passes through the upper end of thepost c and has its inner extremity made conical in form and fitted in a socket of corresponding shape formed in the rearmost end of the said rockshaft B, as shown in dotted lines at e in Fig. 1, the rock-shaft B being thus capable of turning upon a longitudinal horizontal axis. The

said axis is indicated by a point, f, formed upon the forward extremity vof the said rockshaft B. A

C is a tool-stock, which has its rearmost end which passes through downwardly-projecting i lugs J1., formed upon theV tool-stock C, and throughva `corresponding upwardly-projecting lug, f, upon the rock-sh aft B, as shown in Fig. 1.

D is avertical strap or guide, which is placed over the forward portion of the tool-stock C, and has its lower ends fixed upon the opposite sides of the rock-shaft B, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2, `and the` office of which is to prevent the lateral displacement of the tool-stock during the operation of the apparatus, as will be hereinafter further explained. Situated in the top of this strap D is a screw, E, the lower or inner end of which presses upon the upper side of the toolstock C, and upon the upper end of which is a suitable hand-wheel, m. ing upward from the upper side of the toolstock C is a handle, j, while formed longi` tudinally in the front end ofthe said tool-stock is a suitable socket, which receives the shank of the tool F, and is provided with a set-screw, 7c, by means of which the said shank is rrnly held in the socket.

G isa set-screw that passes up through the rock-shaft B in such manner that by turning the said screw in or out its inner end will act as a stop or gage to limit the inward movement of the tool-stock in such manner as to prevent the tool from being forced too far in-V ward in finishing the sphere. time, by turning the said screws in or out, as may be required, the distance of the tool from the axis of the rock-shaft B may be adjusted at pleasure, as required, for turning spheres or balls of `different sizes. i

a are spiral springs placed between the toolstock C and the rock-shaft B to force the tool holder against the inner end of the screw E when the said screw is turned outward.

Situated within the spiral springs n are short cylindrical rods s, the ends of which are placed in suitable recesses in the inner sides or surfaces of the rockshaft B and tool-stock C, and which serve to prevent the springs. from bulging out sidewise when compressed.

The wood, metal, or other material from which the spheres are to be turned is centered in the lathe in the ordinary way, and the base A of the attachment is screwed to the frame of Project- At the same the lathe by any suitable means in such manner that the pointf s on exactly the same level as the centers of the lathe, or, in other Words, s0 that the axis of the rock-shaft B is exactly upon a level with the axis of the piece of material from which the sphere is to be turned, the said axis of the rock-shaft B being placed at right angles to that of the said material supported between the centers of the lathe, as

` just set forth, the height of the said rock-shaft being adjusted to the height of the centers of the lathe, and securing them rmly in place by means of the setscrews ct, as hereinbefore explained. The usual rotary movement being then communicated to the material by the movement of the lathe, the tool or cutter F is brought in 'contact therewithy by turning the feeding-screw E inward, and thus bringing it down upon the said material. The tool-stock is then swung from side to side around the axis of the rock-shaft B by means of the handle j, thus causing the tool F to traverse the are of a circle at right angles to that described by the rotation ot' the material, and

consequently enabling it to cut or turn the material into perfectly spherical shape, the said tool being fed to the work during the operation by turning the screw E downward, asjust mentioned, and the upper end of the set-screw Gr serving as a stop or gage to prevent the tool from being forced too far inward in finishing the sphere, thus insuring the turning of the said sphere to the exact size required.

In case the axis of the rock-shaft B should be placed above or below the axis of the material to be turned, the said material would be turned into spheroidal instead of spherical shape.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The lathe attachment constructed, arranged, and operated substantially as and for the'purposes set forth.

JOSEPH C. YBELL 

